Asclepias similis

• Interesting Facts
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Interesting Facts

Description

Family Apocynaceae

Trees , shrubs , or vines , rarely subshrubs or herbs, with latex or rarely watery juice. Leaves simple , opposite, rarely whorled or alternate, pinnately veined; stipules absent or rarely present. Inflorescences cymose , terminal or axillary , with bracteoles. Flowers bisexual , 5- [or 4]-merous, actinomorphic . Calyx 5- or rarely 4-partite, quincuncial, basal glands usually present. Corolla 5- or rarely 4-lobed, salverform , funnelform , urceolate , or rarely rotate, lobes overlapping to right or left, rarely valvate . Stamens 5 or rarely 4; filaments short; anthers mostly sagittate , free or connivent into a cone adherent to pistil head , dehiscing longitudinally, base rounded , cordate, sagittate, or prolonged into an empty spur; pollen granular ; disc ringlike or cup-shaped, 2-5-lobed, or absent. Ovaries superior, rarely half-inferior, connate or distinct , 1- or 2-locular; ovules (1 or) 2-numerous per locule. Style 1; pistil head capitate, conical , or lampshade-shaped, base stigmatic, apex 2-cleft and not stigmatic . Fruit a berry, drupe, capsule, or follicle. Seeds with or without coma; endosperm thick and often horny , scanty, sometimes absent; embryo straight or nearly so, cotyledons often large, radicle terete .

About 155 genera and 2000 species distributed primarily in the tropics and subtropics, poorly represented in the temperate regions . Of the 44 genera and 145 species present in China, one genus and 38 species are endemic, and nearly 95% of the taxa grow in the southern and southwestern portions of the country.

Fruit type is highly diversified in the family , and it is diagnostic of many genera. Genera 1-4 produce 1, 2-celled berries from a flower; genus 5 produces 2, 1-celled berries from a flower; 6 and 7 produce mostly fleshy follicles containing deeply indented seeds with ruminate endosperm; 8 has follicles and winged seeds; 9 produces follicles and seeds with 2 comas; 10-12 have follicles with globose seeds; 13-18 have drupes mostly with fleshy mesocarp; 19 has samaroid fruit; 20 has spiny capsules with seeds winged all around; and 21-44 have free or fused follicles and comose seeds. Double flowers are known only from cultivated forms of Nerium oleander, Tabernaemontana divaricata, and Wrightia religiosa.

Plants of the Apocynaceae are often poisonous and are rich in alkaloids or glycosides, especially in the seeds and latex. Some species are valuable sources of medicine, insecticides , fibers, and rubber.[1]

Genus Asclepias

Herbs, base frequently woody. Leaves opposite or whorled , short petiolate . Cymes terminal and extra-axillary , erect , umbel-like, many flowered. Calyx glands 5-10. Corolla rotate, deeply parted ; lobes reflexed , valvate or rarely overlapping to right . Corona lobes 5, inserted on gynostegium, erect, apex hooded , with an incurved , ligular-hornlike adaxial appendage . Stamens inserted at base of corolla tube ; filaments connate into a tube; anther appendages incurved; pollinia 2 per pollinarium , pendulous. Stigma head conical . Follicles fusiform , apex acuminate. Seeds flat, with a long coma.

About 120 species: America, some naturalized in Old World; one species in China.[2]

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,458 meters (0 to 8,064 feet).[3]

Taxonomy

Notes

Publishing author : Hemsl. Publication : Biol. Cent.-Amer., Bot. 2: 326 1881

Similar Species

Members of the genus Asclepias

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 110 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

A. albicans (Wax Milkweed) · A. amplexicaulis (Blunt-Leaf Milkweed) · A. angustifolia (Arizona Milkweed) · A. arenaria (Sand Milkweed) · A. asperula (Antelope Horns) · A. asperula capricornu (Antelope Horns) · A. asperula subsp. capricornu (Antelope Horns) · A. brevipes (Asclepias) · A. californica (California Milkweed) · A. californica greenei (Bract Milkweed) · A. californica var. callifolia (California Milkweed) · A. californica subsp. greenei (Greene's Milkweed) · A. cancellata (Asclepias) · A. cinerea (Carolina Milkweed) · A. connivens (Large-Flower Milkweed) · A. cordifolia (Heart-Leaf Milkweed) · A. cryptoceras (Davis Milkweed) · A. cryptoceras cryptoceras (Humboldt County Milkweed) · A. cryptoceras davisii (Humboldt Milkweed) · A. cryptoceras subsp. davisii (Davis' Milkweed) · A. curassavica (Bloodflower) · A. curassavica 'Silky Deep Red' (Bloodflower) · A. curassavica 'Silky Formula Mix' (Bloodflower) · A. curassavica 'Silky Gold' (Bloodflower) · A. curassavica 'Silky Scarlet' (Bloodflower) · A. curtissii (Curtiss Milkweed) · A. cutleri (Cutler Milkweed) · A. davisii davisii (Davis' Milkweed) · A. emoryi (Emory's Milkweed) · A. engelmanniana (Engelmann's Milkweed) · A. eriocarpa (Indian Milkweed) · A. erosa (Desert Milkweed) · A. exaltata (Poke Milkweed) · A. fascicularis (Mexican Whorled Milkweed) · A. feayi (Florida Milkweed) · A. fruticosa (Swan Plant Milkweed) · A. glaucescens (Nodding Milkweed) · A. hallii (Hall Milkweed) · A. hirtella (Green Milkweed) · A. humistrata (Pine-Woods Milkweed) · A. hypoleuca (Mahogany Milkweed) · A. incarnata (Butterfly Weed) · A. incarnata incarnata (Purple Milkweed) · A. incarnata pulchra (Rose Milkweed) · A. incarnata 'Cinderella' (Swamp Milkweed) · A. incarnata 'Ice Ballet' (Swamp Milkweed) · A. incarnata subsp. pulchra (Swamp Milkweed) · A. incarnata 'Soulmate' (Swamp Milkweed) · A. involucrata (Dwarf Milkweed) · A. labriformis (Jones Milkweed) · A. lanceolata (Fewflower Milkweed) · A. lanuginosa (Side-Cluster Milkweed) · A. latifolia (Broad-Leaf Milkweed) · A. lemmonii (Bigleaf Milkweed) · A. linaria (Mexican Milkweed) · A. linearis (Slim Milkweed) · A. longifolia (Long-Leaf Milkweed) · A. macrotis (Long-Hood Milkweed) · A. meadii (Mead's Milkweed) · A. michauxii (Michaux Milkweed) · A. nivea (Caribbean Milkweed) · A. nivea var. curassavica (Butterfly Flower) · A. nummularia (Tufted Milkweed) · A. nyctaginifolia (Mojave Milkweed) · A. obovata (Obovate Milkweed) · A. oenotheroides (Zizotes Milkweed) · A. ovalifolia (Dwarf Milkweed) · A. pedicellata (Savannah Milkweed) · A. perennis (Aquatic Milkweed) · A. physocarpa (Balloon Plant) · A. prostrata (Prostrate Milkweed) · A. pumila (Low Milkweed) · A. purpurascens (Purple Milkweed) · A. quadrifolia (Fourleaf Milkweed) · A. quinquedentata (Slim-Pod Milkweed) · A. racemosa (Talayote) · A. rubra (Red Milkweed) · A. rusbyi (Rusby's Milkweed) · A. scaposa (Bear Mountain Milkweed) · A. solanoana (Serpentine Milkweed) · A. speciosa (Greek Milkweed) · A. sperryi (Sperry's Milkweed) · A. stenophylla (Narrow-Leaved Milkweed) · A. subulata (Desert Milkweed) · A. subverticillata (Bedstraw Milkweed) · A. sullivantii (Prairie Milkweed) · A. syriaca (Broadleaf Milkweed) · A. texana (Texas Milkweed) · A. tomentosa (Tuba Milkweed) · A. tuberosa (Butterfly Milkweed) · A. tuberosa interior (Butterfly Milkweed) · A. tuberosa rolfsii (Butterfly Milkweed) · A. tuberosa tuberosa (Butterfly Milkweed) · A. tuberosa var. clay (Butterfly Weed) · A. tuberosa 'Hello Yellow' (Hellow Yellow Butterfly Weed) · A. tuberosa subsp. interior (Butterfly Milkweed) · A. tuberosa subsp. rolfsii (Rolfs' Milkweed) · A. tuberosa subsp. tuberosa (Butterfly Milkweed) · A. uncialis (Greene Milkweed) · A. uncialis uncialis (Wheel Milkweed)

More Info

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• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Further Reading

• Novon a journal of botanical nomenclature from the Missouri Botanical Garden. 9 1999 St. Louis, MO: Missouri Botanical Garden, url p. 181, p. 602, p. 603.
• Phytologia memoirs. Plainfield, N.J.: H.N. Moldenke and A.L. Moldenke, 1980- url p. 232.
• Tsiang Ying & Li Ping-tao. 1977. Apocynaceae. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 63: 1-249.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed March 27, 2012.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 21, 2007:

• Comisión nacional para el conocimiento y uso de la biodiversidad, Herbario del Instituto de Ecología, A.C., México
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
• UNIBIO, IBUNAM, Asclepiadaceae
• University of Alabama Biodiversity and Systematics, Herbarium

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 8436249
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 15062212
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:94645-1
• International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 94645-1
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 2023426

Footnotes

1. Bingtao Li, Antony J. M. Leeuwenberg & David J. Middleton "Apocynaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 16 Page 143. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. "Asclepias". in Flora of China Vol. 16 Page 203. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
3. Mean = 1,013.090 meters (3,323.786 feet), Standard Deviation = 576.400 based on 132 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.